The Sweetness of Apples
by Siriusly Loopy
Summary: Lily Luna Potter is the Head Girl alongside John Wood, the bane of her existence. But she notices that he is getting very sick and as she waits for him to get better, she realizes that her mind and her heart don't always want the same things.
1. Thoughts

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and never will. JK owns everything that you recognize.

A/N: Thanks to Eesha for editing! You rock Eesha! Three cheers for you!

Lily nearly bounced into the Heads' common room. She couldn't even begin to explain how glad she was to be allowed in here. Her two older brothers had been Head Boy and, as the youngest, she felt she needed to live up to their reputation. If she _hadn't_ made Head Girl, she would've felt that she wasn't as good as her brothers, contrary to her entire family's assurances otherwise. She just wouldn't have ended her Hogwarts career on a good note if she hadn't been made Head Girl.

Her father had tried to console her by telling her that he had not been made Head Boy. But what he hadn't said was, _I wasn't at school anyway_. And Lily knew the story. I mean, come on. It's not exactly a hard choice: Save the world or be Head Boy? Her mother had been Head Girl in her seventh year and she had told Lily that it definitely was not all it was made out to be. The common room was niceenough, but she'd had to admitthat the Gryffindor common room was better. And also, you couldn't stay up late with the your friends in your dormitory because you were alone. 

Lily had remained adamant, though. She wanted to be Head Girl and she knew that if she didn't get it, not even Sirius Black, prankster extraordinaire, himself would be able to make her feel better. In the end, all her worrying had been for nothing. Even now, three months later, she was still amazed. But she _had_ gotten the job and her life couldn't be better. 

The only blemish in her life was that John Wood, the bane of her existence, was Head Boy. John Wood acted a lot like her oldest brother, James. He lived to goof off and goofed off to live. He played Quidditch superbly (as Gryffindor's star Keeper) and had been the Quidditch captain since his fifth year, since James had left. He was extremely good-looking and so had girls from second to sixth year fawning all over him. Those in first were too afraid to have a crush on anyone, and those in seventh year knew him well enough to know to stay away. For John Wood had eyes for only one girl.

Quite unfortunately, that one girl was Lily. He had been asking Lily out since their third year and she had been steadily refusing him for the same amount of time. She didn't know _why_ he kept persisting to ask her. She always said no and she always would. Nothing he ever said or did would change that. And she had told him that, too! But he had just smiled and said, "You think so now" and walked away quite calmly. Lily herself had been very angry at him — how dare he be so confident, so assured that she would come around? Well, she wouldn't. She knew that he took pride in ignitingher redheaded temper when no one else could. And Lily hated him for it.

But this year, he had been acting differently. He was no longer the complete class clown that he used to be. He took the role of Head Boy seriously. Also, he had no time to goof off and do pranks. He had taken as many extra classes as he possibly could without having to use a time-turner. He didn't have the free periods that other seventh year students had to do his homework and his evenings were usually spent on the Quidditch field or patrolling the corridors. He also had Head Duties to do (such as planning Hogsmeade trips, Quidditch matches, and Prefect meetings) and only then did he get time for homework. This usually kept him up very late at night. Lily had even seen him down there at three in the morning one time.

And the stress was showing. His once vibrant eyes were now dulled with constant anxiety and had permanent dark circles underneath them. He almost never made it to meals and so, even though he played Quidditch, he was becoming extremely thin. He was becoming weaker and weaker and lily had noticed that he was having difficulty lifting his bag (but then, so would anyone, with all the textbooks he had). His posture was tired; his manner was quiet and submissive instead of loud and aggressive.

And Lily was worried. Even after all the misery he had caused her, she was worried about him. Now that he no longer pestered and annoyed her, she wanted him to go back to what he was like before. That was just so like Lily. She was always being the perfect example of the saying "You never know what you have until you've lost it". And that's what it seemed like was happening with John. Now that his affections were dulled, she wanted them heightened. She wanted him to ask her out, so that she could say yes, now that he had stopped asking her out incessantly. And this behavior of John's was just so unusual, that Lily couldn't help being worried that something would soon go horribly wrong.

But Lily was no Seer. In fact, Professor Trelawney had already told her several times that she did not posses the "aura" needed for the noble art of Divination. She had ended up dropping out of Divination halfway through third year. So therefore, John was probably in no danger at all. Lily had no reason to be worried because she had no idea if something were to truly happen to him. This fact gave Lily comfort but, nonetheless, she still kept an eye on him, just in case.

For now though, she was content to lie on her comfortable bed and stare at the ceiling. She had done well in her classes today, she didn't have any homework immediately pressing, and she was Head Girl. What more could she ask for? Unbidden, a sudden thought flew through her mind: _You could ask for John_. And Lily sighed because she realized that John was exactly what would make her life perfect. And now, once she realized that, he had given up on her. _Moral of the story_, Lily thought bitterly,_ when life throws you lemons, never throw them back._ Life had thrown so many lemons, and she had thrown them all back. Now, it seemed that life had run out of lemons. Just her luck.


	2. Overwork

Disclaimer: I don't own anything of JK's.

A/N: Another _six_ cheers for AJ! The Amazing Editor! Hip hip hooray!

Lily walked into the common room after having finished her rounds. She had a Transfiguration essay to finish for tomorrow and then she had to read a chapter in _Magical Herbs and Fungi_ for Herbology. She really didn't want to do it, but she had to. She expected that John Wood had much more to do than she did anyway, so she tried not to feel too sorry for herself.

And, unsurprisingly, she found John at one of the tables in the common room, working on his homework. He looked exhausted and Lily wondered just how much sleep he had gotten the night before. He hadn't been at any of the meals today, so she imagined he had to be quite hungry, too. She noticed that there were three open textbooks on the table he was working at, as well as many pages of carefully piled notes and three different essays. He really was taking on too much.

Lily gave a small sigh. Ever since she had seen that John was overworking himself, she had taken it upon herself to make sure that he took care of himself in the meantime. She did her best to remind him to come to meals and she would pressure him to go up to bed if he was up late. If he fell asleep at a table in the common room, she would lay him in a comfortable position on the couch and then organize his papers, notes, and textbooks. When he woke up, she would make sure that he didn't do anymore unless they were due the next day and he was nowhere near finished with them. Otherwise, she would demand that he finish them the next day. And demanding was the _only_ way to get through to him. He responded quite stubbornly to kindness.

So, she walked over to the couch he was sitting at and sat down next to him.

"How long have you been working on these, John?" she asked bluntly.

"This morning, all through lunch, and ever since classes ended," he said promptly. "The professors said that they wanted a lot of detail, so that's what I'm doing. You can't blame me for that."

Lily glared at him. "I can, and I will. You need to eat, John, and you need to sleep. Don't put in so much detail. Just do what's necessary, otherwise you'll be up all night. You don't need to do extra work, you're already ahead. Please, leave out some of the _extreme_ detail that you're putting in these essays."

It was John's turn to sigh. He stopped writing and turned to look at her. "I need to finish these," he said. "Otherwise I'll be behind in all of my other work. If I finish this today, I can work on some of the other work that I've got for the other classes I'm taking. I don't want to procrastinate."

"I'm not asking you to finish it later this time," she countered. "Just leave out all the detail. You'll finish it faster, get a good grade, and still have time for your other work."

John let his eyes rest on his papers, not really seeing them, but apparently in deep thought. "All right," he said finally. "I won't put in as much detail. And I'll finish the homework for my other classes tomorrow."

Lily smiled. Another triumph, and he would feel the better for it, too. He would get his rest tonight if she had anything to say about it. Still smiling, she got out her own notes and parchment and began working on her own homework.

Shortly after she began, however, she started to notice that John was acting oddly. His breathing was labored and his hands were trembling. She felt warm when she moved near him. He would moan softly every once in a while and then he would close his eyes and grimace as if in pain. But he never said anything. Finally, she could take it no longer.

"John, look at me," she said firmly.

"No," he said.

"John, _look at me_," she said, her voice taking on a tone not unlike a certain Molly Weasley's.

Grudgingly, he turned his head to look at her and Lily immediately raised her hand to check his temperature. He tried to pull away, but she grabbed his shoulder with her other hand and made him stay put. She didn't need to however. As soon as had she touched his forehead she realized what was wrong. 

"John, you're burning up!" she said worriedly.

He turned away from her, but she moved so that he was looking at her.

"Why haven't you gone to the hospital wing yet?" she asked.

"I haven't had the time," he said.

"Well, I'm giving you time now."

"I don't want to."

"I'm not giving you a choice."

"Leave me alone!"

"John, you're _sick_ and you need to see Madam Pomfrey now!"

"Lily, just go –"

But he never finished his sentence. His eyes had rolled up in his head and he collapsed into Lily's arms. Lily let out a small "Oh!" of surprise. He wasn't unconscious, because he was trying to move away, but she knew that he wasn't entirely aware of his surroundings either.

"Come on, John," she said softly. "Stand up, now. I need to get you to the hospital wing. Come on."

After a lot of effort, Lily was able to get him standing up, although he was leaning heavily on her shoulder.

As she walked out of the Heads' common room and down towards the hospital wing, she met up with John's best friend, Adam Moore. When he saw her, and who she was holding up, he ran over to help.

When Adam had slung one of John's arms over his shoulder, he asked Lily what had happened. 

"He overworked himself and built up a fever. He hasn't eaten enough either. Now he's sick and he refused to go up to the hospital wing, but now he's half-awake because the fever's taken hold and we have to carry him to the hospital wing. I'm sure he'll be fine, but he'd better learn from this experience, because I am _not_ carrying him to the hospital wing again."

Adam looked worried, but he smiled at her last comment. "Oh, come on," he said teasingly. "Johnny's light as a feather, what are you talking about?"

Lily frowned. "Yeah, he's light as a feather all right, and I'd like to make sure that the next time I do this, he weighs a little more. It's not healthy to be this light."

Adam gave a small laugh. "No, I guess it's not. It's amazing though, he always thought that _you_ would be the one in this situation and _he_ would be carrying _you_ to the hospital wing. He was fantasizing about you at the time, though," Lily turned pink, "so I don't know if he really believed that it would happen. It's still funny that he's the one overworking himself and being taken to the hospital wing for overdose of stress."

"I don't think it's funny at all," Lily said indignantly.

Adam shook his head. "It's not funny that he's _sick_," he told her, in the voice of one explaining matters to a small, ignorant child, "it's funny that he's the one that _is_ sick."

Lily still didn't think it was funny, but she had more pressing things to worry about. Such as the fact that they were almost to the hospital wing and that John would probably be okay. She liked John and she didn't want him hurt. But at the moment, it didn't look as if that choice would be up to her.

For the rest of the walk, Lily thought about what she could do to help John. Finally, just as they reached the hospital wing, she thought of a plan. Not a foolproof one, but one that might work. 

After Lily and Adam left John at the hospital wing with Madam Pomfrey, they both went back to the Heads' common room. Lily had asked Adam to come with her because she needed his opinion. Really though, she was going to need Adam's knowledge as John's best friend if her plan was going to work at all.


	3. Adam's Story

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

A/N: I will keep thanking Alicia until the world ends for her stupendous editing skills! Without her, my stories would be crap! So _thank you_ Alicia!

"You _what_?" Adam nearly yelled. "Since when? What made you change your mind?"

Lily frowned at him. "It came on so gradually I don't even know when it started. And I think his showing that he can actually be responsible made me start to… like him. Is that good enough for you?"

Adam nodded reluctantly. He still looked incredulous and skeptical.

"Good," she said. "Because we need to ensure that something like this will _never_ happen again. And I do have a plan, but you need to listen.

"Okay. It's kind of stupid, but I was thinking that we could both tell him that he needs to take less classes, that he needs to drop a few. I was thinking that he needs to drop Divination and Astronomy and Muggle Studies. And he can't just get new classes to fill them up. He _has_ to make time for free periods. We have to make him listen, all right? Will you help me?"

Adam nodded. "He'll do anything you tell him to, you know that right? You've got him wrapped around your little finger. He usually does what I ask him to, but you're the one that'll make a difference. I'm glad that you came up with a plan that'll work. I don't _ever_ want to see him like this again. And now I know that you don't either. Which is good to hear because then he might just listen to our advice and think about it."

Lily smiled encouragingly at him. Adam could be really sweet when he wanted to. She could tell that he really cared about his friend, and good friends were something that Lily respected. And John and Adam were _best_ friends. Best friends were even better, because they lasted forever.

"I didn't even know he still cared," she answered truthfully. "I thought he had given up on me and since he had nothing else to do now that pestering me wasn't an option, he resorted to schoolwork."

"No, no, no, Lily," Adam said teasingly, "you've got it all wrong. He _did_ give up on you, but instead of trying to drown his grief in homework, he decided to try a different tactic. Since you like school and homework so much, he took as many classes as possible so that he would have more homework than anyone else and then you might like him. He's trying to impress you but he's also a little depressed because you've been so adamant about the fact that you hate him and _that's_ what's led him to this state."

Lily felt horrible now. She knew that Adam was _trying_ to make her feel betterbut he had just made her feel like a complete monster. John must truly like her, otherwise he wouldn't have gone to all that trouble just to get her to like him back. And now she _did_ like him back. So, all she had to do was tell him! Once he woke up that is. Things were looking up for her. Her life was getting better.

"Thank you, Adam," she said. "Once he wakes up, we'll put our plan into action. I'm going to need your help, he doesn't know that I like him yet."

"Do you plan on telling him anytime soon?" he asked shrewdly.

"Er… yes. Yes I do."

Adam looked at her suspiciously. "You'd better mean that," he said. "He's been through a lot lately and you're the one person that can make it better. If you don't tell him that you like him, he might really give up on you and you won't have a chance. I can only do so much and he doesn't believe me on the subject of you."

"I promise that I'll tell him right after we get him to agree to drop his classes. Even if he _doesn't_ agree, I'll still tell him."

"Especially because he might agree then," said Adam.

"Exactly," Lily agreed.

"All right then," Adam said casually, as if she had only asked him to sit down. He stood up and started to walk out of the room. "I'll go along with your plan, you tell him you like him, he promises to drop his classes, and everybody wins. I like it. So, I'll see you tomorrow then."

"I'll see you tomorrow," Lily called after him.

He waved as he walked out of the portrait hole. 

And then Lily was left alone with her thoughts. This happened quite often actually. She had so many thoughts in her head that she just needed time to sort them out. Now was one of those times.

So, as usual, she walked up to her dormitory and lay down on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She closed her eyes and let the thoughts come forth.

She had just admitted that she liked John Wood. And it wasn't just to herself, it was to John's best friend! She definitely had a lot of nerve! No wonder she was in Gryffindor. Maybe this was the Gryffindor part of her. When she needed to say something important, the brave part of her could say it, no matter how embarrassing or dangerous it might be. 

So, she _did_ like John! She had been pondering the idea of liking him this entire year, but had never come to a conclusion. Now that she had, it felt good. John was a very nice guy and she liked his perseverance. She had noticed him standing up for some younger students against some bullies during their patrols. If he did that, then he couldn't possibly be a bad person. He just had this sort-of driving need, it seemed, to hide his true feelings. Only people who knew him well were allowed to see past the happy mask he wore every day. Since she had always turned down his offer of going out, she had never gotten the opportunity to know him well.

But it was _because_ she couldn't see his true feelings that she didn't go out with him and because she didn't go out with him she never got to know him well, which was the only way she would see his true feelings. _Well!_ If things weren't complicated before they certainly were now! And if _she_ was confused John must be even _more_ confused, because he didn't even know that she liked him yet, nor why she had refused him in the first place. 

But, he still liked her. At least, that's what Adam said and Adam knew John far better than she did. And if John liked her, then she still had a chance. They still had a chance to change from Lily _and_ John to _Lily and John_. And that was good news, no matter how you looked at it.


	4. Prayers

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

A/N: I thank you muchly A! You're the bestest with your editing skills!

A/N2: This is a filler chappie, but it's also the most angsty part of the story. So, it's not exactly a prominent part of the story, I just like it. smiles Read on!

Lily had hardly left John's side since the day she and Adam had taken him to the hospital wing. His fever had abated, but he still hadn't woken up. Hehad definitely overworked himself, and that stress combined with little sleep and not enough food, had led to his body temporarily shutting down. Which meant that Madam Pomfrey had had to bring him back to life very quickly or that temporarily might turn into a permanently. Lily had almost cried when she heard that. The fact that John had been so close to dying… she couldn't even think about it. Life without John was like life without oxygen. It wasn't possible.

Classes were the only possible excuse for leaving him in Lily's mind. She had food brought to her by her best friend Amy, Adam, and other seventh year students. She did her homework in the hospital wing and read her books in the hospital wing. Sometimes, she just sat there and watched John, praying for him to open his eyes. It never worked. He never woke up. But she always tried at least once a day. 

Madam Pomfrey seemed to understand what she was going through and allowed her to stay in the hospital wing for these long stretches of time. She even slept in the hospital wing, in a bed right next to his.

Lily felt that she owed something to John. She wasn't quite sure what it was, but she knew that he deserved something that she hadn't yet given him. Of course, she was definitelygoing to tell him that she liked him, but that didn't seem like enough to her. It felt like he needed something _more_. As if just liking him, finally telling him what he wanted to hear after all these years,wasn't enough. But she didn't want to think about what _was_ enough, not yet. For now, she just wanted him to wake up and smile at her again. And then things could get back to normal. Her life would get better; he would get better. 

They would be together, officially. It was what she wanted, and she was almost positive that it was what he wanted, too. However, she would have to wait until he woke up. And no one was certain on when that would be.

She had now learned that she hated waiting. Lily had never thought of herself as impatient before, but she wanted nothing more than for John to wake up. If he didn't, she might just go mad. She would do something stupid just because he didn't wake up. And she hated him for the power that he held over her. But she couldn't, for aforementioned reasons.

Also, she now knew that she didn't just like him. She loved him. He was kind, he was smart, he was caring, he was loving, he was persistent… And as a bonus, he was hot!What else could a girl ask for? He would even do anything she asked of him, whatever it was. 

She knew that she was lucky to have someone as perfect as him feel anything other than disdain for her, especially after the way she had treated him.

Lily shuddered as she remembered the way that she had looked on his efforts to win her over with disgust. She was horrified at her actions now. Why had she done it? She knew that John still liked her but she was at a loss as to _why_? How could he still like her after all she had done to him? And did he love her the way she loved him? Or was it just a very strong crush? Adam had made it sound like he loved her, butAdam couldn't know for sure. Only John knew.

But Lily kept hoping that he loved her. If it had just been a crush, it would have faded long before now. And since his feelings were obviously still there, he had to love her. There was no other explanation for it. And if he did love her, and still wanted her, then she would make sure that she took care of him. He wouldn't overwork himself and he would eat as much as he needed, and he would catch up on all the sleep that he had missed. She would never have to do this again. It hurt too much.

Lily sighed as she looked at John's pale face. _Please,_ she prayed, _please let him wake up soon. I need him. Please, whoever is listening, let him wake up_. But, just like all the other times, her prayers fell on seemingly deaf ears. 


	5. The Kiss

Disclaimer: JK owns EVERYTHING

Disclaimer: JK owns _EVERYTHING!_

A/N: Thank you Miss Terry! I love your edits!

_Lily was dancing in a field of colorful flowers. The sun was high in the sky and the air was pleasantly warm. Usually, she hated dancing in places where people could see her. On the occasions that some of her family did see her, they said that she did wonderfully. But she was too self-conscious to do it more often. Now, however, she seemed to have no qualms about dancing whatsoever. She didn't mind if the entire world saw her!_

_Suddenly, she heard footsteps. She stopped dancing, unsurprised for some reason, and turned towards the cause of the sound. She smiled as she saw John Wood walking towards her. He was smiling, too. In fact, he looked as carefree as if nothing was wrong in the world. As if everything was perfect. And for Lily, it was, in this world of everlasting peace._

_When John reached her, he reached out and took her hand in his. This felt right. They didn't say a word, but they just stood there, staring into each other's eyes and enjoying the unspoken acceptance and love in the air. Nothing could go wrong if they were together, they were a united force that could withstand anything._

_Then, slowly, deliberately, John leaned towards her, and she turned her face upward to meet his. Gently, his lips touched hers. She closed her eyes, put her free arm around his neck and – _

She was jolted awake. She looked around to see who the intruder was. It was Adam. He was standing over her, a worried frown on his face.

"Yes?" she asked sleepily, still basking in the wonderful giddy feeling the dream had left her with. "Was there something you wanted?"

"No," he said. "Not really. It's just… usually you want me to wake you up if you fall asleep. That's what you said yesterday, anyway. I brought you some dinner. John isn't awake yet."

He held out a plate with a sandwich, a banana, and a goblet of pumpkin juice. Lily wearily accepted the food and drink. It wasn't much, but it would sustain her until tomorrow morning. And if it didn't, well, she knew how to get into the kitchens.

"Are you feeling okay?" Adam asked her. She just looked at him. "I mean physically. You're not feeling sick or weak or anything are you?"

"No," she said flatly.

"I think you need to eat more," he told her. "You don't want to end up like John, do you? That won't do anyone any good. So make sure you keep yourself healthy, okay?"

"Fine."

Adam looked at her skeptically. "Promise me you'll eat more," he said persistently.

"I promise I'll eat more, okay? Are you happy?" she asked angrily.

He sighed. "I'm just trying to help," he said. "You don't want to be unconscious when he wakes up, do you? I thought you wanted to be the first one he sees when he wakes up? Well, you won't be if you've collapsed like he has. So you need to eat more and sleep more. And I don't want you to argue with me. I'm not asking you to do this, I'm telling you. So you don't get a choice."

"Fine."

Adam sighed again and left the hospital wing.

Lily looked over at her charge. John was in the same position he had been in before, the same position he had been in for the past three weeks. He still looked pale and sickly. There was nothing that even began to suggest that he would wake up. How she wanted him to wake up!

She scooted her chair closer to his bed. Gently, she took his hand in hers and began stroking it softly. She began to murmur soft words to him— she didn't even know what she was saying. It could have been anything. Then, she stopped talking all together. She looked at John and didn't move for a while.

And then, as if on sudden impulse, she leaned down and kissed him. She didn't know _what_ made her do it. He was unconscious, he would never know! But it felt like the right thing to do. Her mind was telling her that this was the only way to wake him up. And even if it did seem a bit far-fetched, she was desperate. If this would wake him up, then she would damn well do it!

When she pulled away, she looked expectantly down at him, wishing so hard for him to jump up and kiss her back. But he hadn't moved. His position was the same as before. She sighed. Was she silly enough to think that a kiss would really wake him? Now what could she do? If that hadn't woken him up, what would?

She started to turn away, but a flicker of movement caught her eye. She turned away slightly, watching from the corner of her eyes. Was he really going to wake up after all this time? And then she saw it. His hand was moving ever so slightly. It was nothing, but it was everything, too. It was more than she had seen in these last three weeks. It was the sign of hope that she had been looking for. A smile broke across her face. There was a light at the end of the tunnel. She didn't have to wait anymore.

Lily had always been a patient girl, but now, when he was so close to waking up, it was hard for even her to not to try to shake him awake. Slowly, John's body began shifting and fidgeting more and more. He didn't open his eyes, but eventually, after one and a half hours of little movements, his position had completely changed. This left Lily feeling happier than ever. In fact, she had never felt this elated before. Soon, she would be able to tell John that she loved him. Soon, things would go back to normal.

A/N: I'm really sorry for this chapter. I know it sucks. I hate it, too. The next one should be better… I hope.


	6. Apples

Disclaimer: I don't own HP.

A/N: I would like to give a toast to Eesha, AJ, Alicia, A, and Miss Terry! raises glass of sparkling apple juice and clears throat Thank you so, _so_ much for all your guys' amazing help in editing this! I could not have done this without you! If you hadn't been there to constantly edit and laugh at my stupid typos, I'd have been… like… slapping myself so many times. If I got a penny for the amount of stupid typos I've made I'd be a millionaire! So, many, many, _many_ thanks go to the Merry Band of Stupendous Editors! 

Lily spent even more time in the hospital than ever. Now that John had shown signs of life, she was convinced that any time she left his side he might wake up. And she wanted hers to be the first face he saw when he finally opened his eyes.Aside from skipping meals and sleeping in the hospital wing, she was now making trips there between classes to ask Madam Pomfrey if he was awake yet. She planned on skipping class so that she could be with him if he was. But he hadn't woken up yet, and it had been four days since she had kissed him.

But Lily still had hope. He was still moving around in his sleep, so she kept hope alive. People kept telling her to prepare herself for the fact that he might not ever wake up, but she couldn't let herself believe that. And so, she kept hoping. And that was what kept her going, her hope. Without it, she was an empty shell. Without _him_ she was nothing. If he never woke up, she would find a way to join him in whatever world he was in, no matter what it took.

She now understood the feelings between James and his girlfriend Flora, Albus and _his _girlfriend Carol, Rose and her boyfriend Scorpius, and Teddy and Victoire. They had all tried to explain to her at one point or another what they felt for each other. But, she hadn't understood. How could you forgive someone _all_ his or her flaws? It was foolish to want to do anything and everything to please someone else. For one, it was possible, for two, what if they didn't want anything and everything? It hadn't made any sense back then.

But now she understood. She couldn't explain it, but she understood it. You forgave someone all their flaws because you couldn't stay angry with them for very long. You accepted that their flaws were a part of them, and if you truly loved them, you would forgive that part of them. You would do anything and everything for someone else because they were the most important thing in the world to you. They _were_ your world. It was unexplainable. It was beautiful. It was something that Lily had never imagined she would be feeling for John. 

And Lily just hoped her feelings were reciprocated. If he didn't, she didn't know what she would do. All her love would have been for nothing. All her waiting would have meant nothing. Her life would have meant nothing.

Most people would think that she was being overdramatic. But the way Lily saw it, John was her life, her everything. Those other people just didn't understand the way she felt. This was _not_ a crush. She didn't just _like_ John. And love was never overdramatic. It was what it was, and if that meant that one person meant the world to you, then that was normal. 

Andso her days took on a sort of dry routine. She woke up in the hospital wing, checked on John, changed clothes behind a curtain, went to her first class, checked on John, went to her second class, checked on John, stayed with John, went to her third class, checked on John, went to her fourth class, checked on John, stayed with John, went to bed.

At the moment, she was in Transfiguration, the last class of the day. When the bell rang, she would go to the hospital wing and stay there for the rest of the day. Either Amy or Adam would bring her dinner; she wasn't worried about that. Her thoughts were on John. Maybe he would wake up today. Maybe today was the day.

As the bell rang, she quickly gathered up her things and left the classroom, heading for the hospital wing.

When she got to the hospital wing she dropped her things on the ground at the foot of John's bed and sat in the chair that was now permanently at John's side. She placed her hand on his head and stroked his hair gently, soothingly. His fever had abated a little. But not enough. It was never enough.

John stirred again. Her heart lifted for a mere second, then plummeted once more to the bottom of her stomach as he stilled.

"Please, John," she whispered. She didn't think she could bear any more days of disappointment. "Please wake up. I need you. You can't stay like this forever. _Please_, wake up. I love you." 

Her fingers roamed his face. She drifted over his strong forehead, then his eyelids, his long nose, and finally his soft lips. How she wanted to kiss those lips again. But what good would it do? It would be no different than before. He would never know.

But… he moved again. Maybe… maybe now was the time. Maybe now he would wake up. Maybe now he would look up at her with those beautiful brown eyes. Maybe…

His face scrunched up in a grimace. Lily leaned forward, not letting herself even breathe for fear of disturbing him. Maybe…

His breathing quickened. 

He shifted his position. 

His eyelids fluttered.

His hand moved up to his face.

And then – miracle of miracles! – he opened his eyes. His soft, fawn-brown eyes were staring up at her. His face betrayed the immense confusion he felt. But he said nothing, did nothing and she didn't either. She had been dreaming of this moment for so long she almost feared she was dreaming. But she soon realized that she was not. He was actually awake! She couldn't believe it. The moment was perfect, beautiful. There was no awkwardness between them; they were one. Her hand was in his hair again, and it felt so right.

"John," she managed to get out. "John, you're awake."

He still did not say anything. 

"Oh, John, do you feel alright? Are you okay? I mean, of course you aren't, but… oh, please just say something!"

He stared at her for a few more seconds then said, "What… happened?" His voice was very soft and a little hoarse.

"You collapsed," she said, breathing again. He had spoken to her! He was awake! She still couldn't believe it was real. "You were just… doing too much… and you forgot to do things for your body. You didn't eat enough and you didn't sleep enough. You spent half your day doing homework, and the other half in classes! That's not a way for anyone to live. Which is why I think you should listen to my idea."

John looked extremely wary. "What?"

"Well, Adam and I have talked about this, and we've gone to Professor Longbottom, too, and he agrees with us… We think you need to drop a few classes. We think you need to drop Divination and Muggle Studies at the very least. You can also drop History of Magic and even Astronomy if you wanted. Then you'd get more free periods to do your homework. I can help you out with some of your Head Duties during the times you don't have time so that you don't get all stressed out. We just want to help you. So…that's my idea. What do you think?"

He was silent for a while, but when he finally spoke, his tone had changed. "I accept your proposal. I'll drop Divination, Muggle Studies, and History of Magic. I like Astronomy, so I want to keep that. And… if you could help me out with the Head Duties, that'd be great. I just want to ask one question in return."

Lily blinked in surprise. "Of course. Go ahead."

He hesitated for a moment, considering how he wanted to phrase his question. "Did Adam tell you why I took so many classes?"

Of all the questions he could have asked, Lily least expected this one. "Well… he said that… you did it to keep your mind off of me. Is that the answer you wanted?"

John blinked. "Sort-of. I think he told you more than that, though. I can see in your eyes that you're lying. What else did he tell you?"

Lily gulped. "He… said that you did it to get my attention, to show what you would do for me."

It looked like a weight was lifted from John's shoulders. "And did it work?" he whispered.

Lily felt her jaw drop. "I – well, it – I mean – well… yes. Yes, it did." She whispered the last part so softly that she would be amazed if he heard it.

She bit her lip and dropped her gaze to her shoes. She didn't want to see his reaction to her confession.

"Did it?" she heard him ask. "Did it really, Lily? Lily, please look at me."

She did. His eyes were shining now with… she didn't quite know what emotion it was. A small smile was on his face. "Lily, I got your attention. Did I get anything else?"

Lily inhaled sharply. She opened and closed her mouth several times before realizing that now was her chance. Life had finally given her the chance she wanted. She took a deep breath before saying, "Yes, you did. You got my heart."

John looked more like his old self as he smiled and said, "Then it was worth it." He reached for her hand as if it was the most normal thing in the world and gently pulled her towards him. Lily gazed into his soft brown eyes and kissed him, and finally, she felt those soft lips kiss her back.

There are no words in any language to describe the feeling of knowing that the one person you love feels the same way about you. 

_Well,_ Lily thought brightly, _Life may have run out of lemons, but it seems to have stocked up on apples. __And apples_, she decided, _were definitely sweeter_.

A/N: This is it folks! I hope you enjoyed it! 


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